Machine for making concrete blocks.



No. 805,045. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

' B. M. WALTON.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 14 1905 Inwenior ll I,

ZI/z'inesses:

EDGAR M. WALTON, OF KANSAS CITY, M ISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Ifatent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed August 14, 1905. Serial No. 274.148.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR M. WALTON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Goncrete Blocks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a mold for forming concrete bodies, and more particularly to a mold for forming curved blocks for use in the construction of curved walls or round structures, such as cisterns, tanks, silos, &c.

It has been the custom in the manufacture of such blocks to provide each one with a central opening or hollow in order to make a wall constructed of them damp-proof. It has been found, however, that while the moisture will not pass the air-space in the block it will pass through the block itself. adapted for making not a hollow block, but a peculiarly-shaped solid L-block for forming a hollow wall, the said wall being formed bysetting the blocks in double tiers, the L portion of each block in the outer row of each tier resting on and being cemented to the L portion of a block in the inner row of a preceding tier, and vice versa. My machine is further adapted for forming horizontal grooves in the ends of the L portions of the blocks, so that a wall formed of such blocks will have a horizontal as well as a vertical hollow, this construction assuring a free circulation of air and convenience in wiring or plumbing a building so constructed, the air-space and mortar joints combining to keep out damp and frost.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a machine which is simple and economical in construction and which will comprise the improved details of structure which will presently be fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like reference-numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the inner sur- My machine is.

face of a straight front plate. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a front plate used in making curved blocks. spective a pair of end-shaping blocks used when molding curved blocks. Fig. 7 represents the division-plate for cutting the mold into chambers, Fig. 8 represents a curved finished block.

Referring more in detail to the parts, 9 10 represent standards on which is supported the bed -plate 11 of my machine, said bed-plate being provided with an L offset 12 at each end. At the edge of plate 11, opposite said offsets, is hinged a face-plate 13, which may be of any desired shape, that which I show in combination with the machine and in detail in Fig. t being adapted for making curved rock-face blocks, while that shown in Fig. 3 is adapted for making straight blocks with a rock face over one-half their height.

14 represents end plates hinged to the ends of the bed-plate, and i5 is a back plate hinged to the rear edge of said bed-plate and provided with angling end portions adapted to fit against the inner edges of offsets 12. 16 represents gates on the ends of said L oflsets adapted to fit between the end plates 14 and the ends of the angling portions of the back plate 15 when the mold is closed ready to receive the block material and having inwardly-curved centers 16 extending into the interior of the mold.

17 represents lips on the back and end plates 14 and 16, adapted to impinge against the adjacent plates when the mold is closed to prevent the inward collapse of the parts.

Surrounding bed-plate 11 is a frame 18, which is supported by yokes 19 on uprights 20, which latter are slidably mounted in standards 9 10. Connected with and adapted to raise and lower said yokes is a lever mechanism, which is mounted on one of said standards and suitably connected with the yoke on the opposite standard. When said yokes are in their lowered position,theside and end plates will be swung outwardly against the frame, Fig. 2; but as the yokes are raised they carry the frame upwardly against the plates, closing the mold, to receive the block material. By providing frame 18 with lugs 21 and the side and end plates with wedge-shaped lugs 22, adapted to be engaged by lugs 21, a smoother and more perfect operation of the parts is assured.

When the side and end plates have been closed, as described and as shown in Fig. 1,

Figs. 5 and 6 represent in detail per-.

IIO

the block material is fed to the mold and tamped. After the material has become sufficiently hardened the frame is lowered, permitting the plates to swing backwardly and exposing the block, which may then be lifted from the mold. To facilitate the removal of the block, I provide removable off-bearing plates 23, which, fitting within the mold, rest on the. bed-plate 11 and receive the-material when fed to the mold. When the side and end plates have been lowered, the off-bearing plate is removed with the block and another inserted, on which the succeeding block is formed. Off-bearing plates 23 may be formed with bottom flanges or with grooves at their ends to facilitate handling.

The front plate 13 may be straight, as shown in Fig. 3, for forming a straight block; but for forming a curved block said plate is provided throughout about one-half of its length with an outwardly-curved portion 24, which, if so desired, may have a figure core to provide a rough-stone effect to the face of the formed block, the remaining half 25 of said plate being formed on an inward curve and usually having a smooth surface.

At the intersection of the curved portions plate 13 is provided with a groove 26, adapted to receive a division-plate 7, which extends at an angle across the mold and fits within a corresponding groove in the back plate 15. 5 and 6 represent wedge-shaped blocks adapted to fit within the ends of the mold and having cut-out portions 5 and 6, which fit over the inwardly-curved centers 16 of end plates 16. By having the division-plate 7 set at an angle in the mold and by inserting the blocks 5 and 6 in the ends of the mold the ends of the formed blocks are formed on an angle to provide proper meeting faces when set in a curve, the angles of the division-plate and end blocks being varied to provide the proper angles for walls of diflerent curvatures, and the curve of plate 13 being varied for a like purpose.

The face-plate 13 is easily removed and one of another form substituted, making it possible to form blocks of different shapes and sizes with the same machine. the back plate with a series of grooves the division-plate is provided with a nest on that side, into which it may fit when the position By providing of the face-plate groove is altered owing to variations in the plates.

By providing the front plate 13 with the double curve and separating the mold into chambers, as described, two curved blocks may be formed at each operation of the machine, one block being formed on a convex curve with a rock face and adapted for the outer piece of wall, the other being smooth and adapted for the inner piece of the wall. In this manner the blocks may be accurately paired, so that there will be the same number of blocks for both the outer and inner portions.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the drawings the operation of the machine is apparent.

While 1 have specifically described my invention, I do no not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details of structure, inasmuch as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising a suitable framework and platform, end plates and a back plate hinged to said platform, a front plate provided with convex and concave portions hinged to said platform, and forming with said back and end plates a moldbox, and means for dividing said box into chambers, for the purpose set forth.

2. A device of the class described comprising a suitable framework and platform, end plates and a back plate hinged to said platform, a front plate provided with convex and concave portions hinged to said platform, and having a vertical groove therein at the intersection of the opposing curves, and forming with said back and end plates a suitable mold- EDGAR M. WALTON. Witnesses:

A. M. MAXWELL, J. J. CRAYNE. 

